


Ambition

by blazersandbarricades



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: A Team, Aria and Ezra as villains, Betrayal, Ezra as A, F/M, Relationship(s), partners in crime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-28
Updated: 2013-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-14 06:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4554336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blazersandbarricades/pseuds/blazersandbarricades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezra is A. He has no need to confess to Aria because she’s already been on the A team from the beginning, and plans to continue in secret. Ali hasn’t given Aria away yet, but the girls are aware that she does not trust them as a group; no one besides Aria knows the reason why. Ezra and Aria discuss how to proceed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ambition

Of course it had been a shock to the girls when A’s identity had been revealed; but where Ezra slipped up – down to Alison’s doing, sure – Aria was expertise. It was one of the reasons why she had continued to be off the radar ever since Ali’s death.

Having a member of the A team as an inside woman should have been caught earlier, but Aria had built trust with these girls. They would never suspect her; the quirky one, the romanticist, the free spirit of passionate imagination and knowledge. It was so easy to play these girls as an undercover friend, and remain anonymous, except of course for her main initial.

That was a notion of creative expression. 

If someone was paranoid, and clever, they might suspect her as they’d suspected others, but unfortunately, even Spencer was not intelligent enough to notice the dark side that lurked within.

Someone like Ezra, however, would notice – did notice. Perhaps it was a match made in serial killer heaven, but unlike anyone else Aria had been with, for personal reasons, or A motives, Ezra understood her. Ezra read her more than anyone else, except for Ali. Ali knew she was dangerous, but was also aware of the fact that she couldn’t reveal that truth either.

As powerful as Alison was, she still feared people, situations, incidents, and the same way as any other human being. Fear was just as much of a weapon as knowledge, and Alison knew the best of both worlds. Aria did too.

Iceland had been a coincidence, meeting such a mysterious stranger you couldn’t take your eyes off for more than a second without feeling like you would miss something incredibly vital about them. Once learning of Aria’s past events with Alison, and gaining more insight into her interests, and how similar they were to his own, Ezra couldn’t resist getting closer to her.

The feelings were reciprocated, and relationships formed, romantic as well as partnerships in the A team. 

Ezra was a passionate man. Passionate about his writing, passionate about poets, passionate about knowledge and education, passionate about his family – though some of that stemmed from the rage against his mother, and disgracing the Fitzgerald name. Perhaps his mischievous motives were inherited from the woman he despised? After all, she was the one who paid Maggie to steer clear of her son, in turn withholding information regarding the birth certificate of their supposed son, Malcolm. Withholding the truth, and deceiving others could be entertaining on occasion, stressful in others, but ultimately addicting. One you started, you couldn’t stop.

At least Ezra was passionate about his reasons for being A. Everything was in order to protect Aria, honour her, and profess his love for her. Being so strong in his beliefs, and romanticism, the concept did not seem psychotic to him, or the object of his affections. Maybe that’s when you knew you were defined as a serial killer, adoring what you did, admiring your creations and reasons for doing so. Nothing seemed wrong to him, as long as the ultimate gain was his fate with Aria.

Jake, of course was a nuisance. A needed nuisance, yes, but frustrating all the same.  Jake was a scapegoat of sorts, to distract the girls from the Ezra trail, and develop the belief that the pair of them had moved on. 

In the game of love, no one can move on completely. The wounds heal, and scar over, but the impact love makes on one’s heart, never fades along with the scars.

It was simple to meet in secret, Ezra and Aria had done so previously so continuing that even during her relationship with Jake was routine. Malcolm was not part of the A plan; however, as always, Aria was there for him. Malcolm was a welcomed hobby from the real problems at hand, yet the pain still affected Ezra. The thing about pain is that it can make you stronger. Over time, the amount of pain builds upon each other, creating a barrier of defense and anger to form strong skills of survival and ambition.

Ambition was not something Ezra lacked.

Proud as he was of that fact, there were far too many meddling people involved on the A case. The A team was welcomed. His identity had been kept anonymous until now that Alison had ruined things, once again. That girl was being an awful troublemaker but she knew how dangerous things could be. 

She’s been declared deceased before, and could easily be considered the same again.

This time, there would be no mistakes.

 -

“Ezra?”

Jolted from his reverie, Ezra turned to meet the welcomed intruder. However, he was no longer in his apartment. Being A, there were multiple places he could hide, and vacate.

“Aria. I didn’t think you’d come.”

A smile spread across her lips, “Just because the girls know, doesn’t mean I can’t keep my own secrets. You know that as well as I." 

Ezra smiled in response, and gestured to the seat beside him. “What are they saying about me?”

“They’re still in shock. So am I, if we’re being honest. Ezra how could you let her get past you? We were unbreakable. We were close. Ali’s ruined all of that progress-“ 

He silenced her with a stern glare. “You think I don’t know that? You’re supposed to believe in me, Aria. I’m doing this for us, for you. Alison is smart, but I have ways of silencing her for good. One by one she’s losing who she loved, who she can trust! …Just like me. She’ll falter. She has in the past.” 

Aria swallowed, and curled into his lap, running the past events through her mind again. “They haven’t told anyone else, yet. I know Hanna will likely notify Caleb, and he’ll start tracking you. Spencer will do the same with Toby, but you knew that. One of them has to go, Ezra. Toby’s cracked, yes. His vulnerability won you time before, but now Ali’s ruined that luxury. Spencer will tell him. She’s gone behind our backs before, and I’m not shy to that betrayal either, but I feel he’s too easy of a target. What harm can Toby do to you, without help? Caleb is the one you need to go after. He can ruin your career at Rosewood. That cover helps everyone. We need Caleb on our side. You have to persuade him, and if threatening Hanna will do that, than so be it. I mean you already let her mom off, if they think that’s a no strings attached deal, then they’re stupider than we thought.”

Ezra stayed quiet, stroking her hair lightly in apologetic touches. “I’m no longer anonymous, Aria. I can’t risk that. Caleb is not someone to bargain with. He’s someone you permanently get rid of.”

“How? How are you going to cover it up, when they’re onto you?” Aria protested, looking up at him with a mix of determination and worry. “I can’t lose you, Ezra. Faking it is one thing, I couldn’t handle the reality.”

“Neither could I.” He kissed her forehead gently, whispering against her hair, “You will never lose me, Aria. That’s a promise.”


End file.
